Lately, it seems like everyone has heard of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy—they’re popping up in conversations from coffee shops to dinner tables. And with all this buzz, a common question arises: Are we taking medications away from people with diabetes just to help others lose a few pounds?
Let’s unpack that. As a provider with personal experience navigating obesity (currently in remission) and helping others manage it, I want to clear up a few things. First off, obesity is a chronic disease with serious health implications—it’s not just about fitting into those skinny jeans! (Wait, what? You didn’t know obesity is a disease?) Well…let me fill you in! The American Medical Association recognized obesity as a disease in 2013. Here’s their position statement (a bit dry, fair warning 🥱), and a more readable discussion on it here.
The Limited Options for Treating Obesity
Back to the issue at hand: there are many medications to help manage diabetes, but the options for treating obesity are surprisingly limited. Until recently, our most common weight management medication had been around since 1959! Due to this lack of options, bariatric surgeries like the gastric sleeve and gastric bypass have become more common. These surgeries are lifesaving for some but come with risks and high cost.
Then along came Ozempic. This game-changer offers a non-surgical option for weight management. Interestingly, Ozempic isn’t the first medication in its class to show promise for weight loss—it just hit the scene during the social media boom and has since become the “Kleenex” of weight loss meds. But I digress! Treating chronic obesity effectively has major benefits for health, quality of life, and even for preventing type II diabetes. Yes, the same medication used to manage diabetes can also play a big role in preventing it! 🤯 So, rather than taking meds away from diabetics, we’re actually helping prevent diabetes in those at risk.
Dispelling Myths Around “Quick Fix” Medications
The trouble comes when people think of these medications as temporary or “just a quick fix.” Here, diet culture blurs with real disease processes. In diet culture, you’re told to “will” your way into a smaller size. But imagine applying this to other conditions: “Just decide to lower your blood pressure!” It’s silly, and this mindset is damaging, as it perpetuates the myth that people with obesity just aren’t trying hard enough. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most patients come to me already doing all the things to lose weight, and it’s simply 👏 not 👏 happening 👏. For those who aren’t, doing all the things, it’s often because physical limitations prevent them from doing so. These are not “quick fix” meds but powerful tools that belong within a comprehensive, medically supervised weight loss program.
Next Steps: Making These Medications Available for All
With all the buzz, demand for these medications has skyrocketed (old news 😑). And the next big challenges? Making sure they’re available, securing insurance coverage (oy vey! 😩), and ensuring they’re used safely with proper medical supervision. Everyone deserves access to these life-changing options—not just those with the best coverage or the friendliest insurance rep.
So, while these meds don’t actually come with capes, they’re doing superhero work by managing obesity and preventing diabetes. Let’s keep pushing to make these medications accessible to all who can benefit from them because health is the superpower we all deserve.
About the Author
Renee Storm graduated from the University of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama) in May 2021 with a dual role as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) and an adult-gerontological acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP). Board certified as both an FNP and an AGACNP through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), she is licensed in both Washington and Oregon states. An active member of the Obesity Medicine Association and the Washington Obesity Society, Renee enjoys finding ways to incorporate muscle strengthening into daily activities when not working. She also enjoys spending time with her husband of 25 years, her three-legged pit bull, and her boisterous cat.
